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Late-Stage Cancer Missed in Young Patient
26 Sep
Summary
- Young, non-smoker patient initially overlooked for lung cancer.
- Persistent cough led to tuberculosis testing, then cancer diagnosis.
- Patient's insistence on CT scan revealed advanced cancer spread.
Four years ago, Rasika Bombatkar experienced a persistent cough during the monsoon season. Initially, doctors did not suspect lung cancer due to her young age and non-smoking status, which deviated from typical patient profiles. The cough continued for two weeks, prompting her to seek medical help again.
An awareness campaign featuring actor Amitabh Bachchan encouraged testing for tuberculosis (TB) for persistent coughs. This suggestion led doctors to investigate further. Two months after her symptoms first appeared, the cancer was finally diagnosed, but it had already progressed to late stages.
Bombatkar, an allied health professional, had to insist on a CT scan despite initial hesitations from medical staff regarding potential side effects of unnecessary scans. The scan confirmed the cancer had spread from her lungs to her lymph nodes, with a subsequent lymph-node sample solidifying the diagnosis. She was working as a physiotherapist at Christian Medical College, Vellore, at the time of her diagnosis.
